


black moss

by Delllonggone



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: F/M, also please listen to black moss by johanna warren, but i wanted it written down, i literally haven't written true fanfiction in years, its so much better in my head, please dont hate me, these are my detectives with the boys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:48:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26004418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delllonggone/pseuds/Delllonggone
Summary: -Pain alternates with pleasure in beautiful wavesAnd you’ve been watching me-Mason keeps Juniper on the edge of her seat and then pushes her away too often but the night is beautiful and sometimes... we just have to be.-And maybe the fear is baselessBut something still stirs in me when I look in your eyes-Life is brand new with Mia and Felix. It feels like the most perfect glass ornament hanging from a ledge. Time spent alone is precious and extraordinary...-Cause you’ve been kind to meI never quite believed you when you said it’s over-Nothing has ever pulled Leigh out of her books quite like Nate. Finally alone in the middle of nowhere, Nate attempts to push a little bit closer in the sparkle of moonlight.-Fear is the weight we carryFrom the cradle straight to our gravesAnd love is the treasure we bury-Evangeline has never been so close to someone but so far away from the heart of them. It feels like something in Adam just might give, but only if the setting is just right.
Relationships: Female Detective/Felix Hauville, Female Detective/Mason (The Wayhaven Chronicles)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 15





	1. you've been watching me

**Author's Note:**

> A four chapter set of my detectives with he boys of Unit Bravo. Based on lyrics and vibes from Black Moss by Johanna Warren. I just want soft nature experiences with the boys... Please don't judge me too much. I haven't written fanfiction in years and I don't know how to write people interactions... I'm working on it. This also takes place at the end of Chapter 2 and MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 2.

_ Pain alternates with pleasure in beautiful waves _

Juniper huffs, blowing warm air into her gloved hands. The bite of winter has softened into the chill of spring, but the nights are still cold, especially when surrounded by the hills and cliffs of wherever Unit Bravo was now. 

After the disastrous events with the Carnival and the ma’alused, the Agency decided to send out Unit Bravo to find a suitable location that would serve as the ma’alused’s new home. Juniper was eager to make amends with Falk as Sanja recovered from the wounds that the Trapper’s left behind.

Juniper was not eager to hike out in the middle of nowhere as bugs began to crawl their way toward the approaching summer months. The team had been hiking for two days now and Juniper’s patience was wearing thin. Nature was beautiful but only from a distance. That was why she liked the stars and space. Beautiful, but oh so far away. 

Her eyes rose to meet the setting sun on the horizon. The myriad of colors danced across her face, warming her soul with the last bit of their extravagance. 

“Oi.”

Mason grunted from several feet behind her, causing Juniper to nearly jump out of her skin. Subsequently, she nearly toppled off the unsteady rock she was standing on. A firm, if slightly chilled, hand gripped her waist against something so much warmer than the setting sun.

A wave of heat surged from where Mason’s hands connected with Juniper and the chill that wracked her body twisted Mason’s sneer of disapproval into something akin to a smirk. 

“Well now, sweetheart, if you want me to hold you, there are easier ways to get me close than endangering yourself on a broken rock.”

Juniper, who had been momentarily entranced by Mason’s speed and the lack of hesitation to help her, was jolted back into the present with a red flush of her face.

“What,” she hesitated and her brain caught up to her thoughts, “Ugh, quit it Mason.”

In a rush to get away from his snark and grip, she nearly pushed him away but the rock began to shift for a moment and her body snapped back against his in a breath. Her hands fisted his black shirt, desperate for his steady assurance.

Mason watched with a trace of a smile pulling at his lips as she readily shoved him away but still clung to him like a magnet. Her heart raced in her chest and Mason delighted to consider if it was from the shaky rock under their feet or the way that she flushed under his touch.

Juniper stared at where her hands gripped his shirt and she could see goosebumps where Mason’s collar was pulled down.

“Oh,” her still soft voice covered his thoughts. “Mason, you have goosebumps. Are you cold?”

Mason’s demeanor fell back into its cold indifference and after a moment to assure she wouldn’t fall if he let go, Mason hopped down off the rock before answering.

“We are in the fucking mountains. The air might be fresher but it sure is a hell of a lot colder too.”

Struck by the loss of him beside her, Juniper looked down to Mason on the earth below her. The faded orange light turned his skin to gold and the traces of freckles on his skin stood out like comets.

Juniper begged her mind away from the thoughts of him and simply nodded, lowering herself to the rock for an easier descent. After the firmness of the earth met her feet again, the ache of the day’s travels settled into her joints. Spurred on by the chill of a coming night’s breeze, her bones reminded her of all the work they had done in the last two days. She walked near the edge of the cliff and stretched the ache away. Juniper slapped her hands against her cheeks and willed the flush of his presence to leave no trace.

And just like that the traces of night began snapping back into Mason’s senses. The rush of a breeze between the trees, the hum of bug’s wings in the sky, the sound of her footsteps walking away from him.

“Well, you must have come to find me for a reason,” Juniper spoke to the mountains.

“Adam’s ready for us to hold camp for the night.”

Mason’s voice had lost all of its husky timbre from before and had transitioned back to its gruff tones. 

Juniper nodded and began towards the forest where the rest of Unit Bravo waited, oblivious to the way Mason’s eyes traced her every movement.

“So how was your hot and heavy makeout session?”

Farah’s voice whispered to Juniper against the crackle of the campfire. The campfire might as well have set Juniper ablaze itself with how red she became. 

“Wha-” Juniper exclaimed and abruptly hushed her voice. “What are you talking about?”

Farah snickered and gestured her hand in a knowing motion. “You came back to camp with a flushed face and a racing heartbeat. And Mason… well. Even he doesn’t see the crack you left in his facade. Though, I would expect a wider smirk if you two had actually gotten up to something spicy.”

Juniper set the half eaten sandwich in her lap and stared at its contents. 

“This really isn’t the time for this conversation,” Juniper muttered.

Farah’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh ho! So you did do something. To tell the truth I just was wanting to tease you but this is even better than I expected.”

Her voice trailed off as Juniper scanned the campsite, gaze hidden by the hair that flopped in her face. On the other side of the camp, the spark of the last of his cigarette illuminated his face in the shadows of the wood. As if he knew when her gaze fell on his, their eyes met and he blew out the last drag of his cigarette. If the heat of the campfire hadn’t heated her skin then she was sure the ice of his stare would have chilled her to the bone. 

Juniper hated that. One moment he was connected to her and made her heart flutter, the next he would say something suggestive before putting up a barrier between them and finally settling on the icy neutrality of when they first met. She could sing every time he opened up to her and shared a moment of his unguarded self with her. But then he would push her away like nothing had happened. The toying of her heart was almost too much.

Juniper’s gaze snapped back into focus as she watched the cigarette fall to the forest floor. She jumped up and pointed her half-eaten sandwich at him. “Mason, I swear if you set this forest on fire with your dumb habit I will kill you.” 

Though the words were much stronger in her head, she really had the ferocity of a bunny rabbit as she pointed to him across the clearing.

For a moment she thought that his eyebrows had raised in interest before he rolled his eyes and stooped to the ground. Returning with the cigarette, he walked forward to the campfire and flicked it into the fire with the look of, “Happy now?”

Farah coughed and waved her hand. “Great choice Mason. Let the carcinogens just out for the rest of us to inhale.”

Mason rolled his eyes again and turned on his heel. As he stalked out of the camp Adam called after him. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll swap Nat for patrol.”

Adam’s jaw tensed and he looked over at Juniper and Farah. “The lot of you will kill me.”

Farah smiled and threw her head with a laugh and Juniper lowered back to her seat. The moment lost and gone in the firelight that swept her to rest. 

_ And you’ve been watching me _

In the middle of the night, Juniper rolled out of sleep. Though Unit Bravo didn’t need to sleep, she couldn’t see more than one figure in the firelight. 

“Farah, where is everyone?”

Farah was locked into a stare off with the fire, dancing against the darkness of her skin. It was unusual for Farah to be so still. Juniper walked up and set her hand on her shoulder. 

“Farah, are you alright?”   
Pulled out of her daze, Farah blinked several times before looking up to Juniper. “Oh hey June. Sorry, what was that?”

Juniper settled on her second question. “Are you alright? You were staring pretty intensely at the fire.”

Farah shook her head for a moment and set a winning smile on her face. “Of course June. Here in the woods in the middle of nowhere, why wouldn’t I be fine?”

Juniper frowned at the lie but decided not to push it for the night.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Farah asked.

Juniper shook her head. “I’m not used to being outside for sleep. It's… uncomfortable.”

A fond but almost sad smile settled back on Farah’s face. “Yeah.”

After a moment of staring at the fire, Juniper’s first question was lost when they both stiffened at the snap of a branch.

Adam and Nat entered back into the camp and Adam scanned the vicinity. “Mason’s still not back?” Nat asked. 

Farah shook her head and I frowned. 

“I’ll go find him.” Juniper and Adam spoke at the same time. Nat and Farah bounced between looking at Juniper and Adam. Before Adam could speak again, Nat and Farah looked at each other.

“I think Juniper should go,” Farah said staring at Adam.

“Absolutely not,” Adam cut in.

As Farah went to argue, Nat held up a hand. “Actually, I agree with Farah.”

Everyone whirled to stare at Nat, shocked that Nat was simultaneously agreeing with Farah and disagreeing with Adam.

“Juniper clearly can’t sleep, and we have already checked the surrounding woods. Nothing is here and everything that is here is asleep. Juniper can handle herself for a bit. But she has her phone just in case.”

Adam’s jaw set tightly and it was clear he wanted to fight Nat on this, but her hand on his shoulder made him ease a bit.

“On one condition. You try to find him in 30 minutes. If you haven’t found him by then, I’m coming after you and I’ll get Mason after that. If you do find him, you need to let us know right away,” Adam’s firm voice left no room for compromise, but Nat’s eyes lightened to see the glimmer of trust in his words.

“Done.” Juniper said and bent back into her tent for her jacket and phone. “Thirty minutes, Commander.” Juniper smiled and faux saluted Adam. He rolled his eyes with a smile and shoved off toward the campfire. As her footsteps faded into the forest, Adam called out. “Thirty minutes exactly!”

Juniper raised her hand in acknowledgement and set out.

There was no way that Mason was  _ not  _ okay. He had been alive for… well, who knows how long. But he was the most capable fighter on the team, if a bit gruff. Juniper’s face twisted up. More than gruff.

Regardless, this forest was massive. The sounds of bugs at night and the wind through the trees carried a serenity that was only possible with the night when something clicked in Juniper’s mind.

Mason’s overpowered senses would hate the night sounds. He would want someplace quiet and away from life. 

It was a long shot, especially considering all of the parts of the forest that hadn’t been explored yet, but Juniper was up for taking chances. She turned her path and set off for the rocks of the cliffside.

As she neared the spot where she almost fell earlier in the evening, the hope died in her chest. Nothing. No shred of black clothing against the grey of the rocks, no movement at all. Juniper sighed and began to turn away when she caught it out of the corner of her eye. The smallest trail of smoke. Relief flooded her like a wave, settling her nerves and her path. She pulled out her phone and called Adam. The minute he clicked on she said, “Got him.”

Adam grunted in response and she swore she heard a muttered, “Good job,” before he clicked off.

Juniper was sure Mason had heard her coming from a mile off but she didn’t care. She took care in her steps not to make too much sound and disturb his, already soon-to-be-distrubed peace.

As she rounded the rock he was sitting up against, his gaze didn’t even leave the horizon of stars before him. Juniper silently sat down next to him.

_ You say I emanate some strange magnetic power _

Mason burned out the last of his cigarette without a word. As he blew the smoke to the sky, Juniper coughed slightly, drawing him out of the blessed numbness of nicotine. 

But there was a different numbness already settling in his senses.

He had noticed it a couple of times already, but Juniper’s presence did something to him, in more ways than one. He knew that she was attractive, yes, but something about her presence near him dulled everything else. 

The cigarettes offered the briefest of numb periods that would take away the constant thrum of everything around him, allowing him a chance to  _ breathe _ . It was becoming clear that while cigarettes were brief, Juniper’s presence just consumed him. All other sounds faded away but the sound of her heartbeat, her breathing, the scent of her skin, jasmine and orange.

He winced internally. Why did he know that?

Still, the peace that she offered was different. He was beginning to crave it. More than he wanted her for a night in bed, he wanted her  _ presence _ , near him at all times. 

Even though she would normally strike up a conversation, she stayed respectfully silent. Mason could tell the way she danced around the silence. Every fidget made it clear that she wanted to say something but didn’t want to disturb him. 

Mason couldn’t help the huff of a laugh, cut off in his throat as he lifted his foot to stomp out the last bit of cigarette. Her attention had shot to him at the noise, evident in the sudden stutter of her heart. 

So skittish, so…..

_ But don’t be drawn to me _

“Y’got somethin’ to say?” Mason cut out. 

He didn’t have to look at her to know that her cheeks were flushed.

Juniper bit her lip and shook her head briefly. At that time, she looked up at the night sky and it was then that Mason looked at her.

The pure awe that registered on her face. She leaned backwards against the rock to get a better view at the hundreds of thousands of stars. Jaw dropped her breath ceased.

Her beautiful neck exposed…

Flicking up to her eyes, they were all but dancing as they raced across the night sky. She pressed her lips together and settled on a sentence.

“After I found you that first night at the Warehouse, on the roof, under the stars…” 

Mason felt something in him twitch.

“Thank God I couldn’t sleep tonight. Every ache and pain is worth it for this.”

Mason took that moment to look up at the sky again. He had already spent several hours watching it come into view and it was spectacular. Now that his senses weren’t being assaulted, it became even more.

But his gaze dropped back to Juniper. It always dropped back to her.

She smiled bashfully and shook her head. “Sorry. I truly came out to find you again.”

Mason’s voice crawled over her skin and it felt like a breath of air after hours of suffocating.

“Worried about me, sweetheart?”

As the blood rushed to her cheeks she met his gaze with honesty. “Always.”

Another twitch.

It was too much, the scent of her, the draw of her gaze, the  _ warmth  _ that she possessed in her infinitely smaller form. Unconsciously, Mason shuddered slightly.

She reached out one of those blessedly warm hands and placed it on his arm. “You’re cold. I didn’t even think to bring a jacket or something. And you’ve been out here for hours…”

Her eyes raked over every patch of his exposed skin and again it was  _ too much _ . 

“I can think of ways you could warm me up.”

A wall.

Her whole body froze and stopped in time. Her lips pursed together and the red deepened under her skin. She rolled words around in her head but settled on something unknowable.

Suddenly she nodded and before he knew it, she sat back in her position, moved closer, and leaned her body into his side. 

The rush of her heat, the tempo of her heart, the scent of  _ her… _ .

Mason tensed and tightened more when her hands gripped his arm to her without a word. 

“Not-” Mason started but felt the words die in his throat. 

Instead, he lifted his head to the sky and watched the stars. Something about it was infinitely more peaceful with her by his side.

It could have been seconds or minutes but soon her breathing slowed and her body heavy against his.

The urge was there.

The urge to push her away. To pull her closer. 

Mason settled on one urge, just for the night, for the millennia of stars that shined above them. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

Mason’s head fell ever so gently on top of hers, leaning into everything that she was. He cast his gaze skyward again and thought for just a moment… things were… alright.

_ But soon black moss will cover _

_ Over my dead body _


	2. look in your eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mia and Felix's relationship is still new. As Unit Bravo searches the forest for a home for the ma'alused, Mia and Felix find some laughter, sadness, and a little bit of magic in the heart of the forest they are searching in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I truly started this chapter series just for Felix. I really can't decide if I like Felix or Nate more, but I just want to hold Felix's hand every day. Let me protect him... 
> 
> Side note, I can't write more than 500 words in my original fiction story, but I can crank out almost 4000 words for Felix in less than 3 hours...  
> Also, literally none of these chapters are edited. If I can find it in me, sometime I will come back and edit them for both content and function. But my heart is too full and I must post this the moment I finish it...

_ You’ve been a lot of places _

The slightest rustling noise caught Mia’s attention. She looked towards the bushes to her right on high alert, surrounded only by tall pine trees and intimidating, thorny bushes. 

Frozen in place, Mia shifted her feet in preparation for the upcoming choice of fight or flight.

_ Alright, if it’s a wolf, I might be able to fight it. If it’s a bear I run. Or do you make yourself big with bears? Shit, was that cougars or bears?  _

All of her previous training in the Girl Scouts was rushing into her head, from money knots to what bush berries were edible, but somehow no training about wildlife could surface to her brain. 

In the time it took for her to try to think rationally about whether it was bears or cougars you could run from (she would later remember not to run from either), the offending creature began to peek from the underbrush.

Mia sucked in her last breath and tensed in preparation.

Nearly completely camouflaged by the brush, the tiny muzzle of a rabbit hopped out from a few feet away, sniffed the air, and stared at Mia for a moment.

All of the adrenaline drained from Mia has she huffed out her breath with a slight smile. The noise alerted the rabbit to run away, but all was well with a rabbit and not a cougar. 

“ _ Rrrroooaaaaar! _ ” 

The piercing scream that released from Mia was definitely more animal than human and every bird, rabbit, and small creature within a 50-meter radius was fleeing from her direction. 

The laughter that followed the animalistic roar that had frightened Mia to her core took her a moment to process. Finding herself suddenly  _ not  _ mauled by a bear, the adrenaline that coursed through Mia’s veins turned to anger as she stomped up to the bush opposite the direction she had been looking and parted its branches.

“ _ Felix _ !” Mia hissed.

Felix was clutching his stomach, doubled over on the forest floor, laughing his heart out. If Mia hadn’t been so temporarily frightened ten seconds ago, her heart might have clenched seeing Felix with such unbridled joy.

But alas, Mia was pissed.

“Felix, I swear to God!” Mia maneuvered her way through the bush trying to reach him but his vampire instincts made him much faster than her. He dodged out of her impending grasp and continued his laughter as he hopped out of her reach.

“Mia!” Felix could hardly speak with the force of his chuckling. “You should-” another laugh, “You should have seen your face!”

Mia chased after him but he kept dancing out of her reach. “I thought you were a bear!” she chided.

“Oh ho! Such a big and scary creature I am, roar!” Felix wiggled his eyebrows and then loomed over Mia in a bear like fashion.

Now seeing him in full bear mode, fingers curled like claws, back hunched, and his adorable face unable to snarl through his laughter, Mia couldn’t help the fluttering in her stomach and the puff of laughter in her chest. 

Felix, who lets no secret emotion escape his notice, caught on to her almost-laugh like a flash of lightning. 

“Oh? Not so bear-like anymore am I?” Felix flashed a toothy grin and struck a pose more akin to Alex the lion than a fearsome bear. Mia released a snort and promptly covered her mouth to hold it back. 

Felix then began to shimmy his shoulders and waggle his eyebrows suggestively while purring and rolling a continuous “r” as he hopped back and forth.

To Mia, it looked like the start of the most ridiculous bird mating dance she had ever seen. 

Felix’s unbridled glee and his sense of humor struck true with Mia finally and she started to laugh freely. 

Hearing her finally let go and release the bell-like laughter that he so loved, Felix felt all his edges soften and his grin grow wider as he shimmied closer to her. With more exaggerated moves and oddly bird-like sounds, he maneuvered into her space and drew even more laughter from her. 

Felix found himself unable to restrain himself from touching her anymore and he gripped her arms in his and started making her dance with him.

Perhaps it was the release of endorphins after the rush of adrenaline that had caused her to shift so easily into laughter, or it could have been his infectious smile, or perhaps it was the culmination of everything that made up Felix Hauville that allowed Mia to truly let loose and join him in his laughter. But regardless, the way her heart raced in his presence she knew was not founded in fear.

Felix slowed their movements and brought his hands further up her arms as their laughter subsided into giggles. Both overwhelmed in the presence of each other they slowed and for half a second Felix  _ swore  _ that her heart synced up to his when she caught his gaze under half-lidded eyes. 

Mia’s hand crawled up to his shoulders and Felix’s hands began to softly curl around the sides of her face when a loud rustling noise drew them both to stillness for a different reason.

The loud noise barrelled closer to them and Felix whirled around with his arm protectively in front of Mia before slackening as his senses came back to him.

Ava stormed up to them with heavy footfalls crushing all of the dry branches in the underbrush.

“Felix.” Ava said, voice as cold as steel.

Mia could sense all of their previous laughter and tenderness fade from Felix as his carefree demeanor slipped back into place.

“Fearless leader, Ava.” Felix addressed Ava with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You’re fortunate that we aren’t on a stealth mission because the two of you would have ruined it with all that ungodly screeching.” Ava’s eyes sliced to Mia and Mia felt her cheeks heat for a moment, embarrassed.

“Yes, truly fortunate that there should be a lack of fun on this team.” Felix quipped, drawing Ava’s attention back to him. Mia did not miss how Ava’s eyes flashed with momentary regret, but had Mia even breathed, she would have missed it. 

Ava simply nodded and jerked her head toward where they had come from. “While you two were doing,” she gestured to the area around them, “whatever you were doing that was  _ not  _ scouting for the mission, we have already set up camp for the evening. Detective, Nate has already pitched a tent for you to sleep in.” 

Mia nodded and gave a soft smile in response. “Thank you, Ava. Felix and I will follow you back to camp.”

Placated, Ava nodded and resumed her path back to camp, footsteps now silent against the forest floor.

As her form began to retreat, Mia watched Felix’s shoulders slump slightly. She reached out and touched his arm, soft and questioning. 

“Moment’s ruined, eh?” Felix smirked as he turned to face her. 

Mia couldn’t help but reach out and touch his cheek with a sad shake of her head. “Maybe for now, but not forever.”

Felix closed his eyes, leaned into her touch and took a shuddering breath. Mia stood there for a moment before she figured Ava would be even more upset if they didn’t make it back soon.

“Come on, I’m sure that Morgan would love to hear of the Hauville mating dance.” Mia’s voice, full of warmth and mirth, took Felix away from his thoughts with a huff and a laugh.

“She absolutely will not, but I’d love to see you re-enact it.” Felix grinned, some light coming back to his eyes. 

Mia smiled and reached out for his hand and began pulling him in the direction of camp, Felix helplessly drawn to her gravity. 

_ Left me forgotten by your side _

After debriefing on a couple of choices that they had found throughout the day and deliberating on the options, Mia tore into some jerky and a chunk of bread that she had packed for food. 

“I’m not sure the location by the river is the right place to present to them,” Mia spoke through a mouth full of food.

Ava quirked her head toward Mia. “And why not? It’s a source of water and food, with plenty of cover from the sunlight.”

Mia frowned a little and swallowed. “I’m not saying it's a bad location, I just…” Mia trailed off. “I’m not sure it is the location that Falk and his troop would want.” 

Felix sidled up to Mia and sat next to her, close enough for them to touch knees. Surprisingly, he stayed quiet and though Mia smiled at him, his gaze was trained on the fire.

Nate hummed in thought. “I’m inclined to agree with Mia.” 

Even Morgan’s eyebrow quirked in seeing Nate agreeing with Mia, though she was clouded by both the smoke of the campfire and her cigarette smoke.

Mia herself was slightly shocked. She didn’t have a lot of knowledge of the ma’alused, but something told her Falk would be… neutral about the river location.

“Based on the research we had done back at the Warehouse, the ma’alused tend to prefer cave dwellings,” Nate continued.

Mia felt like she vaguely remembered Nate mentioning that prior, but couldn’t draw it to her mind. 

“While the river location is great, we should do some more scouting near that location and see if we can’t find any cave or tunnel systems nearby. With the mountains and waterfalls that we have already seen, it would make sense if caves or tunnels had been eroded over the years.”

Mia nodded in response and offered a smile to Nate. “That sounds perfect, Nate. Thank you.”

Nate smiled back at Mia and they heard Ava sigh. “If that would solidify the treaty more so than the locations from today, I think we can offer one more day of scouting before we should return to Agent Fuller.”

Though it hadn’t been too noticeable, Mia could sense that some tension was released from nearly all of Unit Bravo at the concession. 

“That being said, Detective, you should get to sleep so we could start early and potentially return to the Warehouse by tomorrow evening,” Ava spoke.

Mia sighed and nodded. “Nate, you and I will do the first round of patrol. Morgan, you and Felix will stay at camp while the Detective sleeps.”

Morgan simply nodded before blowing out a puff of smoke. Felix remained unblinking at the fire. Mia could hear Ava and Nate begin talking in low tones to each other as they exited camp, but her gaze was locked on Felix.

Mia reached out for Felix but even her touch didn’t draw his attention.

“Felix, hey,” Mia leaned closer and shook his shoulder slightly. “Hey are you alright?”

Finally pulled out, Felix shook his head for a moment and blinked a couple of times. A slow smile eased onto his face and he turned to Mia, looking at her with unfocused eyes.

“Yeah, Mia?”

Mia gave a half smile and rubbed her hand up and down his arm. “You alright, Fe?”

Felix swallowed and nodded tersely. “Ah, caught up in my head a bit.” He offered with a weak smile.

“Can I help with anything?” Mia offered.

Felix reached up and placed a hand over Mia’s. “I’m alright. Ava said you were headed to bed right? Need help with anything?” Though his voice had the teasing lilt she was used to, Mia could tell it didn’t quite ring true with him. But it didn’t seem like the right time to push his thoughts. 

She smiled back, also not a true smile, but shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. I’ll see you in the morning, yeah?” 

Something in her voice felt like asking for a promise and something in Felix picked up and responded in kind. 

“I’ll see you in the morning. Good night, Mia.” Felix tightened his grip on her hand for a moment before lingering as they pulled away from each other. 

Mia slowly crawled into her tent, looking behind her to see Felix’s smile fade as he returned his gaze to the fire. 

_ And maybe the fear is baseless _

Several hours later, but still well before morning, Mia rolled over in her sleep to the sound of crickets and crackling campfire. 

Mia unzipped her tent to see Felix, in the same spot, and Morgan, closer to Felix but still standing against a tree off to the side. 

Mia peeked her head out and looked to Morgan who blew out another puff of smoke. 

“Has he been like this the whole time?” Mia grabbed a coat and began crawling out of the tent and stepping up to Morgan.

Morgan nodded. “I think he’s moved twice. Transfixed by the fucking fire,” she grumbled.

Mia frowned and watched as Felix hardly even blinked against the brightness of the fire.

“What about Nate and Ava?” 

“Probably searching for that cave system tonight while any big game is out on the prowl. Figured they will be back eventually.”

They stood in silence for a moment, both staring at their unmoving teammate.

“Go,” Morgan interrupted the silence.

Briefly shocked, Mia took a step back in disbelief. “Excuse me?”

Morgan rolled her eyes and took another puff. “Take ‘im somewhere. Go for a walk, throw ‘im in the river or something. Just get him out of that trance. I’ll watch the camp. You won’t really go far enough that we won’t be able to find you. Just go.”

Mia felt a smile take over her face and she almost reached out to hug Morgan before deciding against it. Instead, she spoke with gratitude. “Thanks Morgan. I’ll do my best.”

Morgan grunted. “You’ll owe me. Ava’s gonna tear me a new asshole when she finds you are gone. But I’ll cover.”

The unspoken love that Unit Bravo has for each other always made Mia’s heart swell with happiness. Though they fought at times, it was clear that they truly cared for each other.

“Deal. Let me know how to make it up to you sometime,” Mia stepped forward and Morgan couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You know I will.”

Mia stepped up and sat down next to Felix, gingerly reaching out and grabbing his hands from their locked position under his chin. 

“Fe?”

Mia’s voice was so soft, brushing over Felix like water against the inferno of his thoughts. He shuddered again and released his hands in favor of Mia’s grasp.

“Mimi, what are you doing up?” Felix’s voice was gravelly from disuse and it rumbled straight to Mia’s core with the use of his nickname for her.

“Thinking about you,” she ran her thumb over his knuckles and offered him a small smile. Before he could offer a quip or return to the fire, she tugged on his hand and stood up. “Come on. Let’s go for a midnight stroll.”

Felix followed her without a word, anchoring himself in the grip of their hands together.

They didn’t walk for too long before they reached a clearing between the trees. The long grass brushed against Mia’s calves and she settled next to a patch of white moonflowers, open and reaching toward the full moon above their heads. She urged Felix to sit across from her, though she never let go of his hand. 

She reached for his other hand and he gently placed his hand in hers, keeping his eyes on their hands.

After a minute of sitting in silence as she ran comforting brushes over his knuckles, she finally spoke up.

“Now, Felix, you know I will never push you to do anything you don’t want to do, but I want to talk. Do you think you can talk to me for a little bit?” Mia asked.

She watched Felix swallow heavily, open his mouth, close it, and nod slowly, still staring at their hands. She took one of his hands and lifted it to her lips, brushing the softest kiss to the back of his hand before lowering it back down.

“The last time we were near a fire, you,” Mia paused and thought over her words. “You told me about your mother and the Echo World. Is that what’s bothering you tonight?”

Felix stiffened at her words and shook his head. “Kind of?”

Mia’s heart broke at the uncertainty in his voice. She could sense the difficulty to speak in him and the tugging at his desire to speak to her. She let them sit for a moment and let him breathe in the cooler night air.

“Again, I don’t want to push you but I’m worried about you. Remember, I’m here for you. I want you to feel safe with me.”

For a split second, Mia thought she saw Felix blink away tears, but he drew in a shuddering breath and squeezed her hands. 

“Sometimes being in a forest is… difficult,” Felix muttered and his gaze raised just a little bit, starting to look behind Mia. Mia stayed silent and continued to run her thumbs over his hands.

It took a minute but Felix continued. “Seven years seems like it was so long ago but also like it was just yesterday. And leaving  _ her  _ behind…” He all but choked it out. “It feels the same way having you in the forest.”

Mia’s spine straightened and she froze for a moment. Felix took on a sad smile and looked off at the moonflowers next to them. “I ran away then and I don’t regret it but… now,” he took another moment and swallowed, finally looking up and meeting her eyes. “Now I’ve got you and I don’t want to lose you too.”

Mia was not good at hiding her emotions with Felix. Tears brimmed in her eyes at the pain in his words, the fear, and the traces of hope that laced his words.

Seeing tears in her eyes Felix blanched and started to panic a little. “Whoa, Mimi… sorry I-”

“No. Don’t apologize,” she sniffled, drawing one hand back to run at her eyes. “Felix, I…” Now it was Mia’s turn to pause and collect her thoughts.

_ But something still stirs in me when I look in your eyes _

“You know, when I first met you and you tried to kiss my hand,” she sputtered out something halfway between a laugh and a sob. “You walked straight out of my dreams and into my office. Is it weird that you struck me as a prince?” She asked.

Felix felt a blush rise to his cheeks and he pulled a hand back to rub at his neck.

“I’d always dreamed that someone would sweep me off my feet. But I never thought that someone would run beside me and make me laugh and cause chaos with me and just be there for  _ me _ . Not there for anyone around me, but there to help me.”

Mia sniffled again and looked into Felix’s amber eyes and smiled. “You and all of Unit Bravo brought me into this brand new world and I am learning so much. I like to think that I am helping people but even if I am only helping out the team sometimes… as long as I’m not causing problems, I want to be there with everyone. With you. It’s scary with all of the unknowns and my weird blood, but I feel safe with you. And I know this is new for both of us but I don’t want to lose you either, Fe.”

Felix’s eyes grew brighter and brighter and he could feel her heart beating faster and everything in him just welled up and pushed open the floodgates of affection in his heart. 

“I really want to kiss you right now,” he whispered to the space between them.

She smiled brightly with pink cheeks and nodded.

The kiss was endless in meaning and time. They could have sat there for hours, wrapped in each other’s affection. Soon the need for air and rest became too great and they parted with heavy breaths, Felix still leaning forward and stealing kisses as they separated. The fear and worry was gone now, replaced by a warm, comfortable silence.

“You know,” Mia giggled. “I think it's a bit unfair that you can always sense me and my frantic heartbeat and I have no clue when yours is racing. 

With no hesitation, Felix took one of her hands and placed it over his chest, right over his beating heart that matched hers beat for beat.

“My heart’s always racing when I’m with you,” he said seriously.

There was silence for a moment before they both broke out in a fit of giggled and they collapsed to lay on the grassy floor, holding hands. 

“Fe that was  _ so  _ cheesy,” Mia laughed. 

Felix laughed and squeezed her hand. “But it’s true! And yours races around me too. You can’t hide it from me.”

Mia smiled and looked at the stars overhead.

“I never want to hide from you. My soul is bare for you to see,” Mia tried. 

Felix barked out a laugh. “Not as good as my line,  _ honey _ ,” Felix purred. 

Mia’s cheeks heated again and the biggest smile broke across her face. The stars danced above them.

Stars don’t dance.

Mia gasped and sat up, causing Felix to come on high alert. Mia practically vibrated with excitement. “Fe, Fe!! Look, this meadow is full of fireflies!” 

Sure enough, they had been too wrapped up in each other to notice the fireflies that danced around the clearing. They provided a new enchanted glow to the space around them, making the moment even more magical.

But Felix’s eyes barely left Mia’s awestruck face. A smile of his own alighted his face, illuminated by the soft glow of the fireflies. His chest was so full of… something, he felt as if he could burst. Felix reached forward and tilted her head towards his again, meeting her for another long kiss.

“Thank you,” he whispered against her lips.

“For what?” she smiled.

“For being here for me, tonight and before.”

She leaned in and kissed him again.

“Always.”

_ But soon black moss will cover _

_ Over my dead body _


	3. fear is the weight we carry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evangeline and Adam butt heads more often than not. But after near death experiences in Book 2, will they be able to overcome their barriers and fears? Or will the walls between them become permanent?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this like 3 times... I feel like I am getting a better hang of how to write again. But regardless, thank you for reading! Excited to start work on the last chapter with Nate/Leigh!

_ Fear is the weight we carry _

A chilled breeze crawled over the exposed skin of Evangeline’s neck, raising goosebumps in its wake. She curled the canvas jacket tighter around her chest and checked that the zipper was completely pulled up. Though the season was fading deeper into Spring, nights still held the remnants of winter’s bite. 

But the forest around them was lush and thriving. Prickly conifers towered over them and spiked holly bushes blanketed the forest floor. Evangeline traveled on the paths where wildlife had been more frequent, tough hooves tamping down the earth into a fine path, hard to discern even for experienced trailblazers.

“Ouch!” 

Evangeline tripped over a knotted root, plunging her forward into its trunk where her hand had landed on a budding branch. 

“What’s wrong?” Adam was at her side in a flash. He had been trailing her, about 20 feet behind, for the last hour. Though they had agreed to split up to cover the most area, Unit Bravo also agreed that Evangeline was not to be left unattended. An order that left Evangeline as prickly as the pine trees around her.

“It’s fine. Just a scratch from the tree,” she said, examining the thin trail of torn skin, tiny beads of blood just starting to breach the surface.

When Evangeline turned to face Adam, his eyes were trained on her hand and her keen eye did not miss the way he swallowed heavily. His eyes shone with something like concern and… hunger? She licked the thumb of her opposite hand and swiped it over the scratch, wiping away the miniscule traces of her blood.

The action seemed to snap Adam out of his trance and he almost stumbled backward as his attention came back to him.

Though Evangeline was starting to figure out when to tease Adam, she drew a hard line at teasing him with her blood. The memories of Murphy’s hunger still too fresh in her mind.

She flinched even thinking about it and shoved her hands back into her pockets.

“Your safety is paramount, Detective Windsor. It would better serve the mission if you refrained from harming yourself.”

Adam might as well have punched her in the gut. As if she needed more reminders about her safety and how fragile she was.

“Noted, Agent Du Mortain. I’ll be sure to keep my eyes trained on the floor instead of scouting locations for the maa-alused, like we were tasked to do,” Evangeline snapped defensively. All thoughts of his potential concern drained from her mind.

“That is not what I meant,” Adam started and began to reach with his hand out toward her, before snapping it back and clenching his fist at his side.

“I know what you meant, Agent,” Evangeline said and trudged past him, back to the path they were treading.

Adam bit back a groan. Why did he always say the wrong thing? They were so prone to arguing these days. While it was terribly frustrating, Adam preferred the arguing to the overwhelming silence that had followed after they had fought in the training room. Hearing her voice, even yelling, was better than the chasm of silence and lack of emotion that he could push her to. If he drew too close. If he drew away.

“You don’t need to hover over me. I am capable of defending myself against deer, racoons, and the occasional spout of poison ivy.” Evangeline was several feet ahead of him now, but it took Adam only a few strides to catch up with her.

He almost scoffed at the notion. 

“Don’t say anything about the dumb trip up just now!” She snapped, keeping her attention forward. “I’m a grown woman. I can handle scratches or sprained ankles.”

“A sprained ankle would make you a hinderance toward the mission,” Adam stated. “I can’t,” he clenched his teeth on the words. “Unit Bravo can’t afford to carry you for the next day.”

Adam noted that her heart rate was picking up, as well as her blood pressure.

She whirled on the spot and crossed her hands over her chest. “I really don’t need a reminder of my useless nature as a human, Agent.”

He hated that. Not too long ago, she called him Adam. Only Agent when she was frustrated, which to be fair was more often than he wanted. But it had been over a week since she had called him by his name. Why did he care?

“You aren’t useless, Evangeline.”

Adam’s words were soft, almost whispered against the din of the forest. Against her better judgement, part of her prickly exterior crumbled. The red that had tinged her vision a short moment ago faded into the starting sting of tears.

_ Tu omnia. _

Evangeline grit her teeth and spun away from him, clenching her eyes shut against the dam of emotion she had blocked out for the last week. 

After they had fought in the training room, Evangeline hadn’t spoken more than a few words to him for days, and even then only what essentially needed to be said. Her heart had broken when she made the decision to save Sanja over Adam. 

She remembered sobbing over him, cradling his head in her hands. Regret and sorrow were all she could feel. If he died before she could apologize, before she could confess her regrets and her feelings, she would die.

Her heart would break and she would die.

Evangeline had barely let Nate take him away from her so he could receive treatment. God, was this how Adam had felt after Murphy? Of course not. He didn’t care that much about her. And when she visited his hospital bed…

She exited the room in silent confusion before she located Nate.

“Nate, what does tu omnia mean?” Evangeline whispered against the regret on her tongue.

Nate stiffened and blinked owlishly down at her. “I beg your pardon?”

“Tu omnia. It’s latin right? What does it mean?” Evangeline deadpanned.

Nate began to fidget with the sleeve of his coat. “Ah, well,” he hemmed and hawed for a moment, weighing the decision to translate or not. Adam probably wouldn’t appreciate him translating. Then again, the old man needed a kick toward the right direction.

“Loosely translated, it means ‘you are everything’,” Nate watched Evangeline’s reaction carefully. Though her facial expression and body language stayed the same, she was unable to stop the tears streaming down her cheeks. 

“I see. Thank you,” she said and continued walking.

“Ah, Evangeline!” Nate called after her and she stopped but did not look back. Nate jogged forward and crouched a bit to try to look into her eyes. He very gently put his hands on her shoulders. “Are you alright?”

Evangeline broke. She had been unable to stop the sobs that wracked her chest again, from what emotion Nate was unsure, but he held her as she cried all the same.

Evangeline was jettisoned back into the present as Adam appeared in her field of vision. “Evangeline.”

Had he been calling her name?

She blinked away the memories and shoved the sleeves of her jacket across her eyes, desperate to wipe away any emotion.

“Yes, Agent Du Mortain?” she managed to croak out. Evangeline watched his muscles tighten and his jaw clench. This time it was her fault for the sudden wall.

A branch snapped nearby and tension shot through the both of them as they whirled toward the noise.

Farah approached with a grimace on her face. 

“Hey, so, Nate and Morgan found a pretty good place, we think we will set up camp there for the night to check its activity…” Farah spoke over them, her eyes trained on the guarded form of Evangeline. Even though they both had spun, Adam had nearly warped in front of her, preparing to shield her from any oncoming danger. 

Adam hated how much it pained him to step away from Evangeline, but he nodded and moved away.

“Right. Thank you Farah. Detective,” when Adam returned his gaze to Evangeline, she was staring at the ground with her fists clenched. He ground his teeth again. “Let’s get you to camp for the night. Some food and rest will help us all to see more clearly tomorrow.”

He cursed his own words. Nothing like what he had wanted to say.

Evangeline made no noise, only turned and walked toward Farah, staring at the ground the whole way.

Farah watched as Evangeline brushed past and turned her gaze to Adam. 

“A little bit of trust goes a long way. So does honesty,” Farah spoke.

Adam sneered but before he could comment, Farah held up her hands in supplication and jogged forward to walk with Evangeline, leaving Adam behind. 

_ From the cradle straight to our graves _

Later that night, Evangeline tossed and turned in her tent. 

Food had been mediocre and Adam had all but pushed her into the tent after she finished eating. Evangeline was exhausted and frustrated, both at herself and Adam.

“Knock knock…”

A voice sounded from outside the tent.

“Are you decent?” Farah asked.

Evangeline couldn’t help but snort. “Come on in Farah.”

Farah slowly unzipped the tent flap and peeked in with her floppy curls dangling around her face. “Hey sleepy. Do you mind some company for a minute?”

Evangeline sat up and raised an eyebrow. “In this tiny ass tent in the middle of my beauty sleep?”

Farah grinned. “Of course. The cozier the better.”

Evangeline smiled and scooted over to make some room in the tent. Farah climbed over Evangeline’s bag and discarded clothes, settling in next to Evangeline. They looked at each other and laid back on the pallet with a sigh.

“What can I do for you at this hour, Farah?” Evangeline asked.

Farah lifted her hands and fiddled with her fingers. “Life’s hard sometimes right?”

Evangeline huffed out a sigh. “Yes it is. But why the introspection right now?”

“Because of you and Adam.”

Evangeline stiffened. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Farah rolled her eyes. “And I have no idea how to tell the difference between a truth and a lie.”

Farah moved onto her side to stare at Evangeline.

“Adam’s been around a long time. And even though he’s a good leader, he’s not good with his emotions. At this point I think even Morgan has a greater emotional range than him. Horny, angry and indifferent are better than just angry and indifferent you know?” 

A slow smile curled on Evangeline’s lips and she closed her eyes. “I know what you are saying but we both know they have more emotions than that.”

“Are you sure? Morgan’s sole response to everything is to either get in its pants or throw it out the window. Adam kind of just defaults to talking through gritted teeth or throwing it out the window,” Farah smirked.

Evangeline rolled onto her side with a smile and stared at Farah. “Alright, really though. It’s like 2 AM and you are in my tent talking about Morgan’s tendencies to fuck and Adam’s emotional repression. Why now?”

Farah looked down at the bite wound on Evangeline’s neck. “He likes you. A lot. But after 900 years… I don’t know everything but he has gone through a lot. And you have too. Imagine all of the people Adam has seen come and go. Has seen them die.”

Evangeline flinched. “He almost died,” she whispered.

“He feels too much responsibility to the team for him to just give up and die,” Farah scoffed. “But I’m serious. Imagine living for 900 years, you have to dull some emotions after a while or you’ll live in constant pain. And now he has you. He was probably content to die on a mission until you came along.”

Evangeline winced and looked into Farah’s amber eyes. “He doesn’t want me.”

Farah reached out for Evangeline’s hand. “He doesn’t want to lose you. It would be almost easier to never have you then to love you so much and hen lose you to something stupid like Trappers or rogue vampires.”

“He doesn’t trust me. Not after I couldn’t protect myself with Murphy, or protect the team with the Trappers…”

“Now that,” Farah squeezed Evangeline’s hand, “is a conversation you need to have with him. Which is why I’m here.”

Evangeline was about to ask why when Farah continued. “Adam’s been out on solo patrol for almost 3 hours now. Said he would handle it. Frankly, I think the only thing he’s doing is grinding his teeth into dust and probably felling a few trees with some roundhouse kicks.”

Evangeline stayed silent and waited for Farah to continue her explanation. Farah gave her a scathing look that said, “Seriously?”

“What would you have me do, Farah? Go after him like some lovelorn puppy?”

Farah rolled her eyes again. “No. Well, yes. This is the perfect chance to connect with him. Let him know why you are frustrated with him. There’s nothing out here to stop you.”

Evangeline smiled sardonically. “Except for you and the rest of Unit Bravo eavesdropping on us?”

Farah shoved Evangeline and they rolled onto their backs, laughing. After the giggles subsided, Farah sat up and stretched briefly. 

“Seriously though. I really think you should go after him. I’m sure Morgan and I could point you in the right direction. But you do you.”

Evangeline closed her eyes and briefly imagined happening upon Adam in a grove, the two of them holding each other under the starlight. Warmth flooded her chest and gave her goosebumps. Just as a small smile came upon her face, dream Adam went rigid, shoved her away, and stormed off into the shadows, breaking the illusion. 

It felt like she had been punched in the gut. An all too familiar feeling at this point.

“He will push me away,” Evangeline whispered.

Farah’s expression went flat. “Maybe. But what if he decides to stay?”

Something like hope flashed hot in her heart. Farah’s optimism was much needed at this point, but still. After so many failed attempts at connecting with Adam, rejection felt imminent. But what if Farah was right? 

“I’ll give you a moment to think about it,” Farah climbed out of the tent and left Evangeline to ponder a late night excursion. She was exhausted after so many nights of not sleeping and being haunted by nightmares. Clearly, sleeping in the middle of nowhere on not so soft ground wasn’t helping her sleeping either. Besides, when would be the next time that she would get to enjoy the wild outdoors without any threat of the supernatural?

Evangeline sat up and grabbed her jacket, shoving it around her shoulders as she climbed out of the tent, pulling her boots on as she hobbled out. 

Farah stood near the fire, smiling at Evangeline. She could see Morgan leaning against a tree, smoking her signature cigarettes. Evangeline couldn’t see Nate anywhere.

Farah stepped up and straightened Evangeline’s jacket. “Head east, about a quarter mile. Last we could tell, he was patrolling an open field. And by patrolling, I mean mercilessly destroying a bunch of wildflowers by crushing them as he carves tranches while pacing. Pretty hard to miss, honestly.”

Evangeline snorted and pulled Farah into a hug. Though she froze momentarily, Farah settled into the hug with a smile and a quick squeeze. “You’ve got this.”

Evangeline nodded and turned toward Morgan. Though the two of them could be frosty, Evangeline was slowly learning what could make Morgan crack.

As she moved to pass Morgan she bit out a retort. “Think if I flash him my ankles he will be overcome with lust?” 

From the brief way her eyes widened, she was sure she had caught Morgan off guard. Morgan then barked out a laugh filled with smoke. 

“If you’re lucky he might get a boner when he holds your hand.”

“Morgan!” A voice yelled sharply to their left. Evangeline turned to see Nate stalking up out of the woods. 

Morgan smirked. “If she pops a few buttons he might just blow..”

Nate rushed forward and fought to silence Morgan before her crass tongue could continue to verbally defile their leader.

Cheeks hot, Evangeline smiled as she headed east.

“Have fun!” Farah called.

“Don’t come back till sunrise!” Morgan called as Nate struggled to force his hands over her mouth. Though Evangeline did not miss how they all smiled at her as she walked away.

_ And love is the treasure we bury _

A quarter mile trek at two in the morning when she hadn’t slept in almost a week was killer even for someone as fit as Evangeline. 

Though she wasn’t heaving for air, she was definitely feeling a burn in her muscles and the weight of her entire body on her shoulders.

But still, she was trying to keep her steps relatively quiet as to not disturb any of the forest denizens. Or alert Adam so he could formulate an excuse to run away.

Still, she thought she must be nearing the clearing that Farah had mentioned before she left. The bushes had become more sparse and the trees gained distance between each other. Soon enough, she could see an expanse before her. Long grass mingled with… daisies? She walked forward with a smile on her face. Long forgotten memories of braiding daisies into crowns and bracelets. 

What she hadn’t noticed was Adam, openly staring at her as she walked into the meadow. Evangeline had an ethereal quality about her as she strode through the long grass. Adam was sure that she was a dream had it not been for the bags under her eyes. At least in his dreams she was healthy and well rested.

Adam shook his head and steeled his face into a cold mask.

“Detective,” Adam called. 

Evangeline startled out of her memories to meet Adam’s gaze across the meadow. She initially jolted at his call, a pleasant smile shifting into fear. Adam felt his heart drop. Fear of him?

He watched her swallow heavily, pluck a feather of barnyard grass and start picking with it as she walked closer. He also watched her eyes flick up to gauge him every few seconds or so. “Good evening,” she spoke softly, unsure.

Adam simply nodded and pulled his arms behind his back. “What are you doing out here?”

Evangeline visibly prickled and Adam sucked in a short breath. “I mean, why aren’t you sleeping?” Why are you out here and not safe back at camp?

Evangeline looked him straight in the eye, voice flat. “Nightmares.”

The hard ice green of his eyes turned soft for a moment and he opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and tensed his jaw.

“Can we sit? I just trekked all the way out here, it would be nice to sit for a moment,” Evangeline pushed at the grass around her and began to sit down.

“We really should get you back to camp,” Adam started.

“Sit for a goddamn second, Adam.”

While not the way he wished to hear it, Adam’s pulse spiked at the first use of his name in such a long time. He was helpless against her and he sat down immediately.

They sat in silence for several minutes while Evangeline’s hands threaded through the grass around them, pulling long stemmed daisies from the field.

Both of them hesitated to break this uneasy silence that had formed between them.

“Evangeline-”

“Adam-”

They both spoke at the same time and both of them began to smile. Adam dropped it before it could fully manifest. “You first,” he said.

With a lap full of daisies she began weaving. “I’m sorry.”

Her voice was small against the tension between them.

Adam furrowed his brow. “For what?”

Evangeline gave a rueful snort. “For being hard headed. For always fighting with you. For trying too hard.”

Adam’s hands clenched the grass beneath them, ripping the greens from the ground.

Before he could respond she continued.

“So much of this is new to me. And while I do enjoy helping people and supernaturals,” she paused for a moment and pulled in a breath. “It can be too much sometimes.”

Adam gritted his teeth at the honesty. Forced himself to bite back the words he had been trained to say as an Agent. 

“I’m not complaining,” she rushed out with wide eyes and looked up at his hard expression. “Just… so much so fast. My brain is still processing everything. And when I’m up against something, I lash out.”

He knew that reaction all too well.

“I,” her weaving faltered and she looked back down at her lap, cheeks tinged pink. “I don’t want to fight with you, Adam.” 

His pulse skipped again, her voice soft as she said his name. “I don’t want to fight either, Evangeline.”

Honesty was good between the both of them.

“So, can we talk about us?” Evangeline breached. Adam stiffened again and she recognized the all too familiar wall that was rising between them.

Evangeline lashed out.

Her hand whipped forward to land on his, fingers tight around his wrist. “Please,” she begged.

Her hazel eyes were pleading up at him. Her irises caught the light of the moon which played with shadows on her cheeks. The bags under her eyes. He clenched his jaw but stayed in place.

“Do you have an issue with me?” he asked.

Evangeline gripped his wrist harder and tugged at it, prying it free from the dirt and grass. His muscles were tight but he didn’t resist her actions.

“I wish you didn’t run away from me every time I try to talk.”

“I don’t run away from you,” he lied. Well, a half-truth.

“I know this is hard for you, and I don’t even know what this is. But...God, do you feel it Adam?”

Her question stunned him into silence. He could feel the heat from her fingers, how her pulse raced and her breathing was faster than normal. 

But he knew that she talked about the tug between them. How Adam watched her the moment she entered a room. How he looked at her from a distance and how she looked back at him. Her keen eyes always catching his when he was looking at her. How her pulse sped up when they locked gazes for too long or when they were alone. 

Adam swallowed against the words caught in his throat. He struggled against them for a few moments and right when Evangeline was about to give up hope, he spoke.

“I do.”

He did not miss how her pulse spiked again and how brightness and life returned to her eyes. God what he would give to keep the light in her eyes.

Her grip on his wrist loosened and her fingers lingered, carefully watching him as she pulled away, making sure he wouldn’t bolt the moment she let go.

He stayed.

Evangeline smiled, bright and full at Adam before she set to work finishing the weaving in her lap.

“What were you going to say?” she asked.

Adam decided that what he wanted was irrelevant anymore and if he spoke much more he would twist this magical moment between them. 

Just for a bit longer, he would push aside that wall and enjoy her, for just a moment more.

“Nothing, Evangeline.” 

And Adam couldn’t deny that he loved the way she melted as he spoke her name. Her hands continued their work and Adam felt pressed to ask.

“What are you making?” 

She stuck out her tongue for a moment as she worked at fastening a knot with the stems. Adam felt every fiber of his being ache to kiss her.

“Done!” she beamed and lifted a circlet of woven daisies up before she leaned forward and plopped it on his head.

Adam blinked for a moment as he processed her actions. He could feel a blush crawl up his neck as he realised he was wearing a flower crown.

“This is ridiculous,” he said and reached up for the crown.

He hands whipped out again but this time she grabbed both his hands and held them in hers. His hands were massive compared to hers.

But Adam’s gaze was stuck at the jagged scars that lined her right wrist and up her arm. Regret flooded him.

“Don’t.”

Adam looked from her wrist to her eyes and he could see the conviction in her eyes. “Not tonight. Please. Just a moment longer without anything else.”

A moment longer.

Though it pushed against his instincts, Adam relented. A moment longer for her. Anything for her.

He gave another simple nod and watched the tension drop from her shoulders. She kept her right hand on his and twisted them together, interlacing their fingers. Adam hoped she couldn’t feel his pulse racing but he definitely felt hers. 

Evangeline started to lay back, hoping that Adam would too, but even if he didn’t that was fine. This was enough. 

Though Adam didn’t lay down, he held her hand and looked up at the stars around them. Beautiful. Just like her.

Adam could feel her pulse slow and as he looked down at her, his heart clenched to find her asleep, still holding his hand.

Never mind the fact that she fell asleep in the middle of unknown territory or that she fell asleep in front of  _ him _ .

Unseen by anyone, Adam let himself smile, a true genuine smile as he beheld her sleeping form.

She would never know how long he had stared, watching her calm breath and peaceful expression. 

She would also never see the knowing grins of the rest of Unit Bravo as he brought her back to camp and placed her back into her tent. Adam wouldn’t know either, for his sole attention was on Evangeline.

_ But soon black moss will cover _

_ Over my dead body _


End file.
